


The Dream Master

by LuvBusters



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Attempted Suicide, F/M, Fluff, Language, More Fluff, Nightmares, Public Display of Affection, Sexual Situations, Violence, Warning for trigger sensitive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 01:56:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16379186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: An entity who can control people’s dreams is loose in New York. The Ghostbusters must capture it before its victims are trapped in their dream worlds forever.





	1. Strange Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of strange car accidents causes the Ghostbusters to question if a paranormal entity is involved.

Janine was working at her desk, humming along with the radio while the Ghostbusters were out on a call. She doesn’t get the opportunity to actually enjoy the radio that often so she was taking advantage of it.

Suddenly the song was interrupted by an emergency broadcast. 

“This just in: there have been numerous reports pouring into the police station within the last few minutes of several traffic accidents. It seems people are falling asleep behind the wheel while driving. EMS personnel are speculating some sort of gas is being omitted as the cause. More on this breaking story as we get details. Now, back to the music.”

“Ah Great!” Janine mumbled. “Something else we’ll probably get blamed for.”

Just then, the guys contacted her by radio. 

“Hey Janine, it’s Ray! We’re gonna be a bit late getting back.”

“Let me guess: traffics jam? Car accidents everywhere?” Janine said sarcastically.

“Yeah! How’d you know?” Ray asked.

“Just heard it on the radio. People are falling asleep behind the wheel. EMS are saying it’s some kind of gas,” Janine replied.

“Great! Something else we’ll get blamed for!” Peter whined.

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Janine said. “So far, no more calls. Take your time; I’ll be here.”

“Thanks Janine,” Peter said in a sing song voice. 

“Nice attitude - maybe I should mention it’ll be overtime?” Janine shot back.

When she got no response except silence, she continued. “Over and out.”

Winston eyed Peter through the rear view mirror; he was pouting in the backseat. 

“You know, Janine puts up with a lotta stuff, Pete. Would some overtime kill ya?”

Peter smirked. “Nah, But if she thinks I’m pissed, it keeps her quiet for a while.”

Egon gave Peter a look that was somewhere between frustrated and amused. Peter saw it.

“Oh? Like she’s never acted that way with you?” Peter said, trying to get Egon to admit his feelings for the lovely red head. 

Egon only adjusted his glasses and continued fiddling with his PKE meter. “Janine usually holds her biting remarks for you, Peter.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot; she’s always sweet to you. If she ever gets in your pants, that might change,” Peter said slyly. 

Egon glared at him, but Ray cut in before he could respond. 

“Do you think the accidents have anything to do with the paranormal?” Ray asked.

“I’m not picking up any readings,” Egon replied. “With the accidents we’ve already passed by, if it were some sort of entity, I would’ve picked up something.”

“Janine said she hasn’t received any calls; maybe it’s just something normal or man-made?” Winston suggested.

“It’s possible but I’m not ruling out paranormal just yet,” Egon responded.

The Ghostbusters finally pulled into the Firehouse nearly an hour and a half later. Janine was taking a call. As the guys walked closer to her desk, they could tell it was a personal call.

“Monica, you know I’m not a fan of these things. Yeah, i know, I’m not getting any younger. What’s his name? What’s he look like? No! I am not shallow! I simply wanna know who I’m looking for so I’ll know when I see him!” 

Peter and Winston noticed the look on Egon’s face as they realized she was obviously agreeing to a blind date. Egon’s mouth was turned into a tight frown, his jaws visibly clenched. Winston could’ve sworn he heard teeth grinding.

Janine hung up the phone. Peter couldn’t help himself.

He walked over to the front of Janine’s desk and sat down on the corner, leaning over the phone towards her. 

“Can I help you, Dr. Venkman?” She asked flatly as she looked at him over the top of her glasses.

“Oh, I just couldn’t help but overhear it sounds like you’ve got plans?” Peter drawled, giving her his patented Cheshire grin.

Janine smirked at him. “Yes, I’m aware that you heard. You probably can repeat to me her exact words that were spoken.”

“What I’m interested in is what’s he look like and where are ya going?” Peter asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Janine sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. “If you must know, he’s six foot, one; sandy blonde hair, works in the stock market and has gorgeous green eyes. I’m meeting him at Mimi & Rosa’s Italian Restaurant this Saturday at seven thirty.”

Peter’s grin widened. “I have gorgeous green eyes,” he sarcastically flirted.

Janine’s smirk turned icy. “Yes, But you’re an ass. Big difference.”

Ray returned upstairs from putting the ghost in the containment unit. He wasn’t aware of the conversation. Winston stepped over to quietly bring him up to speed.

“We heard Janine making plans to go out this weekend on a blind date. Peter’s giving her a hard time.”

“What’s Egon doing?” Ray asked.

Winston thought for a second. “Not sure, but he’s gonna crack a tooth or pop a vein in his forehead if he doesn’t say something soon!”

Janine shut down her computer and was preparing to leave for the day. As she stood up, she pushed Peter back off her desk. He laughed and headed upstairs with Winston and Ray. Egon hesitated before following.

Janine stopped as she slipped into her coat. “Egon? Something bothering you?”

He looked at her, unsure of whether he should voice his thoughts. He decided....to do the wrong thing.

“Actually, Yes. As Peter pointed out, we couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. It sounds like you’ve accepted an invitation to a blind date?”

“Yeah, my friend Monica has been bugging me about it for weeks. I thought I’d agree to it so she’d shut up,” Janine admitted. 

Egon’s frown deepened, his voice rising slowly. “So you’d accept a date with a man whom you’ve never met, and you have no idea what kind of a person he is?!”

Janine’s attitude changed quickly. “Well, in case you haven’t noticed Egon, I’m not getting any younger. And I’m running out of options! I’m at the point where I HAVE to accept dates with men I DONT know because I’m sure as hell not getting any offers from men that I DO know!”

Janine picked up her purse and headed for the door. But Egon grabbed her forcefully by the arm. 

“Ow! That hurts Egon! Let go!” Janine yelled.

He lowered his voice but didn’t let go. “Janine, I...,I....,” The words were there but his tongue refused to say them.

Janine glared at him, jerking her arm out of his grip. “Let me GO!”

Egon released her arm, watching helplessly as she stormed towards the door. Right before she closed the door, she turned around to look back at him.

“For a brilliant man, you can be so stupid!” Janine shouted as she slammed the door.


	2. Locked Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter sees to it that Egon and Janine end their feud, one way or another.

Peter slowly walked downstairs. 

“What the hell happened?!” He asked.

“Janine and I...had...a misunderstanding,” Egon said.

“All I heard was her yelling. As you know, it’s hard to miss that,” Peter added.

Egon frowned. “Yes, well,....,” his voice trailed off as he headed past Peter towards the lab.

“Everything alright?” Peter asked, worried that Egon seemed to be so distracted. “It’s not like you to be like this unless you’ve got something going on in the lab.”

“I’ve got to analyze these readings from the PKE meter,” Egon said, dismissing Peter politely.

“I thought you said you didn’t pick up any?”

“There were a few residuals as we passed by a few of those car accidents. They were so minor and fluctuated so much, I didn’t pay much attention to them at the time. But, as I thought more about it, I’ve decided I need to look into it further.”

“Ok, well, let us know if you come up with anything,” Peter offered.

Egon sat down at the work table looking over his information. But he wasn’t concentrating on that as much as he was thinking about Janine. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. And now, he was afraid he may have pushed her too far this time. 

*********************  
The following Monday, Janine came into work. She was fairly quiet as she settled in at her desk. Ray and Winston came downstairs preparing to get started on a tune up for Ecto.

“Hey Janine! What’s up?” Winston greeted her.

“Morning Ray, Winston!” Janine replied cheerfully.

“How’d your date go Saturday?” Ray asked.

Janine smiled. “Actually, it went good. I think a second date might even be in the near future.”

“Oh really?” Peter drawled as he and Egon came downstairs. 

Janine smirked. “Good morning to you too, Dr. V, Egon.”

“Sooo, a second date, huh? This guy must’ve left quite an impression,” Peter teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

“So, you actually went through with it?” Egon said almost angrily.

The others looked at him in surprise, especially Janine. 

“Yeah, I did! What of it?” She replied, her hands on her hips.

“I just can’t believe you would put yourself in such a potentially dangerous situation!” Egon shot back.

Peter stepped back a bit; he had never seen Egon act like this towards Janine. It was a little unsettling. Winston and Ray inched their way over towards Ecto, hoping to get out of range of any objects that might be flying through the air soon.

Janine walked briskly up to Egon, tiptoeing and poking her finger at his chest.

“Now you listen, buddy. You’re not my dad so don’t talk to me like I’m a child or an idiot! We were in a very public place and I took a cab home alone! I’m not dumb enough to meet someone in a creepy place and invite him up for a nightcap! I’m not that kinda girl either! I can’t believe you’re practically calling me a tramp!”

“I didn’t mean....,” Egon started but Janine interrupted him before he could finish.

“Never mind! It’s none of your business! If I remember correctly, you guys have a bust scheduled for 9:00 am so you’d better get going!”

The others started suiting up and gathering their gear. Egon stood by Janine’s desk, hesitating.

Janine sat down and started up her computer. “Unless you have notes I need to type, I’ve got other things to do, Dr. Spengler!”

Egon reluctantly stepped over to his locker and started suiting up in silence. A few minutes later, they were on their way to the bust. 

“Man, that wasn’t pretty. Ray, I think maybe we can postpone the tune up on Ecto until Janine’s mood lightens up,” Winston suggested.

“Yeah, I don’t want her to get mad at us for making too much noise!” Ray said.

“What’s up with you, Spengs? It’s not your style to jump into an argument with Janine like that,” Peter said.

Egon just stared at his PKE meter. “It’s nothing. I was just afraid for her safety.”

“Riiigght,” Peter drawled. “Well, you better hope she gets over it soon. Or else it’s gonna be a really long day!”

They reached their destination and quickly noticed the crowd of people that had gathered. It was a large office building that had been evacuated. The office manager ran up to the Ghostbusters. 

“Oh thank goodness you’re here! I’m Mr. Adams, office manager.”

Peter shook his hand. “Did you place the call?”

“Yes, I did! Three of my employees just fell asleep at their stations; a few minutes later, one of them started screaming like she was being murdered. Another one started running around the office area and jumping over desks and chairs like an Olympic athlete. The third just slept with a huge smile on his face.”

“Did anyone see any ghosts or entities before this happened?” Ray asked.

“Several people admitted they saw what looked like fog sweep through before the employees fell asleep,” Mr. Adams said.

Egon, who had been studying his PKE meter, spoke. “I believe it’s a creature similar to the Sandman. It causes its victims to fall asleep and dream about their deepest wishes and desires.”

“So we’d better watch out for this fog and not get zapped?” Winston asked. 

“Yeah, basically,” Ray replied.

The men entered the building, their packs on and their throwers primed. As they walked through the building, they saw other people lying around, some sleeping peacefully while others looked like they were being mentally tortured.

“Why do some people look like they’re having nightmares?” Winston asked.

“This entity must not follow the same rules as the Sandman,” Egon theorized.

“Right, this thing looks like it’s causing dreams, nightmares and everything in between,” Peter commented.

They continued until they reached the office area that Mr. Adams had spoken of. Just as he had described, three employees were there. One was screaming, another one running around, and the other sleeping quietly. 

Ray and Winston slowly searched the area. Egon took readings with his PKE meter while Peter watched the man running around. 

“Do you know how tempting it is to stick my foot out and trip him up?” Peter grinned.

Egon looked at him and grinned ever so slightly. 

“Are we just gonna stand here and watch them or what?” Winston asked, slightly amused at the situation.

“Their readings show significant exposure to the entity,” Egon said. “I suggest we restrain them loosely until the effects wear off.”

“How long is that gonna take?!” Peter whined.

“The readings are starting to fluctuate, so I don’t believe it will be much longer,” Egon said.

Ray suddenly realized something. “Egon! You said earlier when we were returning to the Firehouse that the readings were fluctuating. You know, when we passed by the car accidents?”

“Yes, and..?” Egon replied, looking over his glasses.

“Are you saying that what caused the accidents caused these people to go nuts?” Winston asked.

“I think it might be worth considering,” Ray said.

“I believe the readings are the same,” Egon said. “I would have to compare these to the ones I have written down at the lab, but I do believe there is a connection.”

After twenty more minutes, the three people who had been affected snapped back into reality, suddenly embarrassed about the whole thing.

Egon scanned each person with the PKE meter. “Their readings are back to normal,” he said.

Once they had proven that the building and its occupants were safe, the guys headed back to the Firehouse. They were hoping things between Egon and Janine would be better. It may have been if he had learned how to keep his jealousy in check.

As Winston and Ray put up the gear, Peter gave Egon a strange look, a cross between anxiety and fear. Janine’s blind date had shown up to take her to lunch. 

“Great timing! I didn’t want to leave until you guys got back! Now I can go to lunch!” Janine said excitedly.

An hour later, Janine returned from her lunch date. Egon was sitting at Janine’s desk, waiting for her. She raised an eyebrow. “Something I can help you with, Egon?” Her voice had an annoyed tone to it, usually the same tone she uses with Peter.

Egon abruptly stood up, launching into his verbal assault. “So, another date?! How serious is this? Do you even know what kind of person he is?!”

“Will you stop acting like my dad?! For God’s sake, what the hell is your problem?! You’ve never given a second thought to me dating before; why now?!” Janine demanded.

Egon threw up his arms in frustration as he walked towards the stairs. 

“Yeah! Run back to your precious lab, where you don’t have to worry about anything!” Janine yelled.

The rest of the week was extremely tense. Egon and Janine hardly spoke to each other. When they did, they addressed each other only by their professional names.

Finally, by Friday, Peter snapped. He walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed Janine by the arm. 

“Ow! What the hell, Dr. V?!”

“You’re coming with me!” Peter insisted. 

He walked quickly upstairs to the lab, pulling Janine along behind him.

Egon looked up from his current project, frowning at the intrusion. “Peter, what are you doing?”

Peter pushed Janine into the lab. “I don’t care how you do it but fix this! You two have been going around all week: ‘Ms. Melnitz this,’ and ‘Dr. Spengler that.’ We’re tired of walking around on eggshells. Shake hands, kiss and make up, have angry sex - I don’t care but fix it!” He then slammed the lab door. 

Winston and Ray met Peter in the hallway. 

“Do you think this will help?” Ray asked.

Peter shrugged. “Either it’ll fix it or they’ll kill each other,” he replied.

Egon stood in front of his desk, arms folded tightly across his chest; he had a stern, cold look in his eyes.

Janine’s body language was a bit less forceful. She had walked over to the window, staring out. Her eyes glistened from the tears that threatened to fall. She was angry but more sad than anything. 

Egon’s posture relaxed slightly as he noticed Janine’s shoulders slouch. He could see her face in the reflection on the window, she was struggling to maintain her composure.

He finally decided to be the first one to speak. “I’m not sure where to start, but I believe this all is a result of my thoughtless comments about your dating preferences?”

Janine’s back stiffened. While still staring out the window, she replied, “Thoughtless doesn’t even begin to describe how you’ve made me feel.”

“Then tell me,” Egon said, his tone somewhat icy.

Janine turned to face him but didn’t move from her spot by the window. “Hmm, let me see,” her voice thick with sarcasm. “Cruel, hateful, vindictive; those are the words to describe the ones you used. As for how you made me feel?! How about desperate, hopeless, pathetic, and overall not good enough for any man on this earth?!”

She turned back around and faced the window, tears streaming down her face.

Egon then realized how much he had hurt Janine; a woman that, despite everything, he still respected, admired, and…..loved.

As he stepped towards her, she shouted, “No! Stay over there!” She still was facing the window but saw his reflection. 

Egon stopped. “Janine, I am sorry. I never intended to hurt you.”

“Well, you did!” Janine said angrily, turning again to face Egon. Her face was red and tear streaked. “For someone so brilliant, you can be so dumb sometimes! And you’ve been spending too much time with Venkman; you’re turning into an asshole! I agreed to a blind date because I have no other options! I’m tired of being lonely. I can only read but so many books on the weekends. I need more out of my life and I’m not getting any younger. I have needs, ya know!”

Janine moved and sat down on the couch Egon sometimes uses for naps. She propped her elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands. As she sobbed loudly, Egon moved to the couch, sitting down cautiously beside her. He gently placed his hand on the middle of her back, slowly rubbing small circles, trying to calm and soothe her. 

Feeling his touch, Janine relaxed slightly but continued crying. She didn’t dare look at him; she wanted to hate Egon forever, but she knew she couldn’t if she looked at him.

Egon spoke softly, “I’m deeply sorry for this. If I had just been honest from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”

Janine looked at him, wiping her tears. “What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“It drives me crazy how you accept dates with guys that your friends set up for you,” Egon admitted.

Janine’s face started to turn red again. “I’m out of options, Egon,” she replied, her tone icy. 

“Why are you so desperate?!” Egon said angrily, his voice slightly rising.

“Why are you angry?! It’s none of your business!” Janine shouted, standing up abruptly. “And what do you mean by being honest? Sounds like you have no problem saying what’s on your mind right now!” 

She started to walk towards the door when Egon suddenly stood and grabbed her arm, almost hurting her. He practically pulled her back across the lab, stopping in front of his work table.

“Ow! What the fuck, Egon?!” She shouted, trying to free her arm from his grip.

“I care about you, Janine! I don’t want to see you get hurt, and I don’t want to watch you go out with other men!”

“Then fucking DO something about it!” Janine shouted, her bottom lip trembling in anger.

With one smooth move, Egon used his free hand to swipe across his work table, sending his projects crashing to the floor. He then picked up Janine, setting her gently on the edge of the table, her legs dangling off the side. He roughly spread her legs so that he could stand in between them up against the table. Quickly yet gently, Egon pushed Janine’s panties aside, exposing her just enough for him to be able to feel her wetness. “Good, you’re ready for me,” he whispered huskily in her ear. He cupped her face in his hands, then quickly and roughly kissed her, his tongue pushing its way into her mouth. 

Janine moaned but allowed him to continue. As Egon changed to kissing her neck, his hands slid down from her shoulders to her arms. He kissed her hard on her neck, across the jugular. She cried out as she felt his teeth sink into her flesh just enough to send what felt like bolts of lightning straight to her crotch.

Egon Continued exploring her upper body with his mouth, holding her arms by her side. Janine threw her head back, encouraging him to kiss across her collarbone before heading a little lower. The blouse she was wearing was low cut enough that he was able to maneuver his mouth down into her cleavage without using his hands. He wanted to keep her arms beside her body while he kissed her. Egon wanted to maintain control of this particular moment for as long as possible. 

Janine willingly surrendered control to him as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations his lips and tongue were giving her. 

Finally, Egon reached the point where he needed his hands if he wanted to further this experience. He released Janine’s arms but she didn’t move them. Egon stared her in the eyes, watching her reactions as she felt his hands unbuttoning her blouse, then exploring her breasts as he pushed the cups up over them. Suddenly, Janine gasped as she felt his lips wrap around one of her breasts, his tongue flicking then sucking the nipple. 

“Ohhhh, mmmm!” She moaned as the feeling was so intense. 

She dared to open her eyes, to see that Egon was staring at hers while he continued to tease her breasts, switching between both of them.

Egon stood, leaned in and gave Janine another rough kiss on the lips. Then, he reached underneath her mini skirt, rubbing his hands up the inside of her thighs. He grabbed the sides of her panties and pulled them down over her ankles, dropping them onto the floor. 

He then quickly unfastened his pants, freeing his hardened cock. He grasped Janine’s hips and in one swift movement, he plunged it into her. Janine dug her fingernails into his forearms, biting her bottom lip to prevent her from screaming too loudly. Egon pulled out not quite completely then thrust back into her. Janine was so wet, he didn’t have any problems. Egon increased his speed as he could see that Janine wasn’t having any trouble handling his size. He thrust harder and harder each time, rocking the work table. 

Janine arched her back, rocking her hips in rhythm with Egon’s movements. She rubbed her hands up his toned arms, feeling every muscle twitch at her touch. Her eyes met his, both staring into pools of sheer lust and desire. 

As Egon felt an intense orgasm building, he kissed Janine on the lips with a force that almost took her breath away. He could feel Janine’s body tightening, signaling her time was almost upon her as well.

He moved his mouth to Janine’s neck, sucking hard enough to leave a small hickey. She grabbed his shoulders and held on for dear life as her orgasm shot through her. Egon followed soon after, burying his face in her hair. As they slowly came down from their climax, he slowly pulled himself out, giving her a gentle kiss on the temple. 

Egon tucked himself back into his pants, suddenly overcome with mixed emotions: relief, embarrassment, panic.

Janine, on the other hand, looked relaxed, even happy. Egon helped her down from the table. As she slipped back into her panties, she noticed his expression. 

“Talk to me, Egon. Was this just a one time quick fuck or what?” Janine asked, tensing up for the answer. 

Egon blushed. “I was highly inappropriate, and I hope this doesn’t change our working relationship.”

“Of course this changes our working relationship!” Janine shouted. “We just had mind blowing sex, Egon! Was this just a one time thing?! Do you feel anything for me?!”

Egon took a deep breath. He let it out as he walked up to Janine. She tried to step away, but he held her in place by grabbing her by the waist. 

“Janine, I love you. I’ve been in love with you for a while. I just didn’t know how to say it. Knowing you were dating other men, watching you go on dates; it tore me apart. But I didn’t feel that I had the right to say anything. You and I weren’t actively involved. You were free to see anyone you wanted.”

Janine grinned sweetly. “But now?”

He smiled back. “Now, I feel that I have every right to keep you from going out on dates with other men. I’m not usually a possessive person, but I’d like to think you’re now mine.”

Janine wrapped her arms around his waist. “I most certainly am. And you’re mine.”

Peter, who had tiptoed back to the lab door earlier to check on the couple, had heard glass breaking. Soon after, he heard moans and the yelling had stopped.

He returned to the rec room. Winston and Ray looked at him anxiously.

“Well?” Ray asked.

Peter grinned smugly. “Let’s just say they’ve definitely gotten their frustrations out in the open.”


	3. The Dream Master Approaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters come face to face with the entity responsible for the latest chaos.

Egon and Janine exited the lab, holding hands. They tried to maintain a normal expression, but the others knew too well what that silly grin they both were wearing meant. 

“Well, I’m assuming you two worked everything out?” Winston asked, grinning.

“We have reached an understanding, yes,” Egon replied.

“Yeah, we figured that,” teased Peter. “You’ve both got that ‘just been fucked’ look.”

“PETER!” Winston and Ray both yelled.

“It’s ok,” Janine purred with an unusually calm voice. “Those that can’t fuck, tease.”

The smug grin on Peter’s face melted instantly. 

Suddenly, the phone rang. Janine picked it up in the rec room. 

“Ghostbusters! Uh-huh...yeah….wait a minute! What?! Ok, give me the address.” She gestured for a pen and paper. 

Ray scrambled and brought a pencil and an envelope and gave it to her. She gave him a warm smile. She wrote down the address. 

“Got it! They’ll be right there!” Janine hung up the phone. “This is weird.”

“Have you forgotten what we do for a living?” Peter asked sarcastically.

“No, I mean, this is some really weird shit,” Janine replied. “There’s a bunch of people in the Bronx area who seem to be under the power of something. A couple of cars crashed into parked cars along the side of the road. And there’s a few people who have been reported as ‘looking dead.’ They’re not but the police are reporting that they’re just deeply asleep. The others who crashed the cars also looked the same way.”

Egon frowned, his mind obviously in overdrive. 

“Whatcha got, Big Guy?” Peter urged.

“I’m not sure but it sounds like an entity similar to the Sandman,” Egon replied. 

“Oh great,” Winston groaned.

“Let’s get going!” Ray enthusiastically suggested.

As they all started towards the stairs, Peter and Janine were bringing up the rear of the group. Peter playfully swung his arm around Janine’s shoulders. 

“Sooo,” he drawled. “You and Spengs get everything out in the open?” He gave Janine his classic grin.

Janine smirked back at him. “Just expect things to be a little different around here from now on.”

“That’s great! But you might wanna invest in more makeup,” Peter teased, removing his arm from her shoulders.

“Why’s that?” she asked.

“You’re gonna need something to hide that big ass hickey he put on your neck!” Peter then took off running down the stairs at full speed, passing by the others, almost pushing them out of the way.

“You son of a bitch!” Janine yelled, as she ran behind him. 

Ray and Winston stood to the side as they reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Egon reaches out to grab Janine as she ran by, almost tripping when she missed a step.

“Hold on!” Egon said, grabbing her by the upper arm, helping her keep her balance.

By the time Egon and Janine made it down, Peter had already gotten into his jumpsuit and was grabbing his pack, headed towards Ecto. Ray and Winston started suiting up, too. 

“Why don’t you cut on the answering machine and come with us, Janine?” Winston suggested.

“Yeah! You came to the rescue when we encountered the Sandman!” Ray said, bouncing with excitement.

“I guess I can,” Janine said, looking at Egon with a question on her face.

Egon exchanges looks with Winston and Ray. Finally, he agreed. 

“I’ll be careful,” Janine purred, giving him a wink.

As they climbed into Ecto, Janine had slipped into her jumpsuit and sat in the backseat next to Peter. Egon sat down on her other side, sandwiching her in the middle.

Winston slid in behind the wheel, Ray sitting up front.

“Behave you two,” Winston warned as he watched Janine and Peter in the rear view mirror.

“I will if she will,” Peter replied.

Janine gave Peter a sly grin of her own. As she did, she looped her arm around Egon’s arm. She stuck out her tongue. 

As they approached the Bronx area, they could see the remnants of the car accidents. They got out, surveying the situation. 

Egon began to scan immediately with the PKE meter. “I’m getting the same fluctuating signals as before,” he said. “This may be the actual signature of the entity.”

They all put on their packs, powering up. 

“Ok, Ray, you and Winston check out these car accident victims, Peter instructed. “Me, Egon and Janine will check out the residents affected.”

Winston and Ray cautiously examined the people sitting in the back of the ambulances receiving treatment. The paramedics were dressing their wounds but could not get the people to wake up.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen!” one of the paramedics admitted. “It’s like they’re asleep but so deep, nothing will wake them!”

Ray scanned each person. “I’m getting the same readings Egon did,” he told Winston. “I don’t think this is the entity’s signature.”

“Then what is it?” Winston asked.

“I think it may be a state that these people are in; a state that allows the entity to control them.”

“That makes sense,” Winston agreed. “Why else would they all register the exact same signature?”

Ray grabbed his hand held radio. “Egon, this is Ray. Come in.”

“I hear you, Ray. What is it?” Egon responded.

“I think the readings represent a state these people are in, not the entity’s signature. Each car accident victim reads the exact same.”

“Interesting,” Egon replied. “I’m picking up the same readings inside as well.”

“If the ghost is here, it may be hard to see it coming on the PKE meter,” Peter pointed out. 

“Yes. Raymond, you and Winston be very careful and observant,” Egon warned.

“Yeah, you guys, too,” Ray said.

Egon Continued leading them through the apartments, finding all the occupants in a deep sleep.

Janine reached down to feel for a pulse on a woman who had fallen asleep in the kitchen floor. “Her pulse is very weak, guys.” 

Egon scanned the woman. “Her readings are slightly higher,” he said, frowning. “Perhaps her readings are higher because she’s in a much deeper state.”

“But why?” Peter asked. “What makes her different?”

Just then, a large cloud of yellow fog slipped into the room, a low growling sound heard by everyone.

“Get ready!” Peter warned. They all prepared their throwers. 

A tall, shadowy figure appeared, slowly walking forward through the fog. It had a long, flowing black robe, tattered at the ends. It had a long, pale face with long, knotted fingers. The figure itself was tall and lanky, slightly taller than Egon.

“Who are you?” Egon demanded.

As the figure raised its head to face the trio, its eyes could be seen; they had an eerie yellow glow. As it opened its mouth, long fangs could be seen.

“I am the Dream Master,” it said in a deep, male voice. 

“What have you done to these people?” Peter asked.

“And why?” Janine added.

“These people will be forever trapped in a deep sleep. Some will live in a perfect life as they have always wanted. Others will be forced to live in their own nightmares should they not obey me.”

“What would determine that?” Egon asked. 

“If some decide to fight against me, they will suffer,” the Dream Master replied.

“Well, that’s too bad. That’s kinda what we do,” Peter stated. “HIT HIM!”

The three Busters fired. The streams seemed to bounce off of a shield that protected the ghost. He just laughed at their failed efforts.

“You will never defeat me with your weak weapons,” the Dream Master taunted.

Ray and Winston came into view behind the ghost. They fired as well with the same results. 

“Increase power!” Peter shouted. “Ray, fire first!”

Ray fired, quickly followed by Winston. Peter then joined in, then Egon, with Janine finishing out. But they still got the same results. 

The ghost raised his hands above his head, a ball of yellow light forming. 

“Scatter!” Winston yelled.

They all ran in different directions, avoiding the ball of light being thrown in their direction. 

Janine had moved to a corner of the room behind the ghost. Thinking she could take him while he was distracted, she fired.

Peter and Egon joined in, Ray and Winston next. Together they tried to hold him in place. But again, he was too strong, breaking free from the streams that had wrapped around him.

The ghost laughed. “Give up humans!” He then raised his hands above his head again, this time causing a series of what resembled lightning bolts to shoot from his fingertips.

They all managed to barely dodge the bolts. The ghost made eye contact with Janine briefly before she fired her thrower again.

The ghost grinned evilly. “She will be a fine specimen if she does not fight against me,” he thought.

Janine felt the ghost invade her thoughts for a few seconds. She tried to make her way towards Egon, but the Dream Master caused a fog to envelope Janine before she got to him. 

“Janine!” Egon screamed. 

The ghost laughed as the fog closed in around her, causing her to slip into a deep sleep. 

“HIT HIM!” Peter yelled again. 

They tried yet again to hit the ghost with the streams but he was too strong. As he broke free and dissipated into thin air, the fog slowly filtered out. Janine was left lying on the floor, in a deep sleep like the other people. 

Egon ran over to her, kneeling beside her. He cradled her in his arms, “Janine, wake up, please,” he begged.

Ray scanned her with the PKE meter. “Her readings are stronger than the people we scanned outside.”

“Yeah, Janine had said the same thing about that woman over there,” Peter said. “Her readings were higher than the others.”

“But Why?” Winston asked. 

“Let’s get her back to the Firehouse and find out,” Ray said.

Egon carefully lifted Janine into his arms and carried her to Ecto-1. They returned to the Firehouse as fast as possible.

After they returned to the Firehouse, Egon carried Janine, who was still in a deep sleep, straight to the lab. Ray cleared off a work table and covered it with a blanket. He also placed a pillow on one end. Egon carefully laid her down, resting her head softly on the pillow. 

Ray scanned her again with the PKE meter. “Her readings are a bit higher now,” he said. 

“Janine had noticed a woman back at the apartment building that had higher readings,” Peter recalled. 

“I believe it’s because she and the other woman are in a deeper state of sleep than the others. But I don’t know why,” Egon said flatly.

“What do we do? How do we wake her up?” Winston asked. 

The guys stood there, racking their brains for an answer. Finally, Ray had an idea.

“Hey! Maybe it’s like a fairy tale!” Ray suggested.

“You mean like Sleeping Beauty?” Winston asked.

“Yeah! The prince woke her with a kiss!” Ray answered excitedly.

Peter grinned from one side of his face to the other. “Well, I guess that makes ol’ Spengs here Prince Charming!”

Egon blushed deeply. “There must be a scientific solution,” he replied.

“Yeah, I mean, you can’t go around kissing everybody this thing has put in a trance!” Winston pointed out.

“The Dream Master said each person is either living their own perfect dreams or their worst nightmares in their sleep,” Egon reasoned. “What would be Janine’s perfect dream?”

The three Busters looked at him with an expression that screamed, “Are you serious?”

“What?!” Egon replied.

“What do you think?” Peter said with a slightly sarcastic tone. 

“Well, she’s already really gotten part of it,” Winston said, smiling.

“Yeah, But What else?” Peter suggested. He looked at Egon, raising his left hand and pointing to the ring finger.

Egon’s face blanched immediately. “I’m not ready to marry her!”

“Maybe not at this point but I bet she’s at least dreaming that the two of you are dating regularly,” Ray suggested.

Winston and Peter nodded in agreement.

“So, we wake her up….,” Egon started.

Peter interrupted. “YOU wake her up. I ain’t kissing her!”

Egon frowned, arching an eyebrow. “I wake her up,” he corrected. “Then What?”

“We find a way to bust this bastard!” Winston said sternly.

They looked back over to Janine. Her breathing was slow and steady. Ray made note that her pulse was also holding at a steady rhythm. She even had a smile on her face. 

Egon wiped away a small line of sweat that had beaded up. He nervously licked his lips. Kissing Janine in private was no problem, but he wasn’t comfortable kissing her in front of an audience. However, her life was on the line. He didn’t have a choice.


	4. Dreams & Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon must free Janine from the Dream world she’s been placed in by the Dream Master. But when her perfect life becomes a nightmare, will the guys be able to completely bring her back?

“I think we should hook Janine up to the brain wave meter while she’s sleeping!” Ray suggested. “That way we can record her brain activity while she’s dreaming; it might help us determine when the best time to try and wake her would be!”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Egon agreed. “Not only will we have data to study later after Janine is safe; we may also be able to pinpoint possible weak moments in which to stop the ghost!”

“Right!” Winston chimed in. “If there’s a time when the Dream Master can be distracted, you’d be able to tell?”

“Possibly,” Egon confirmed. “But this is just a theory. We still need a plan to bust him.”

“It would probably be best to wake her after a cycle of REM sleep,” Peter suggested. “She’ll remember her dream better and might be able to give us some insight on how to approach the ghost.”

With everyone in agreement, Ray attached electrodes to Janine’s temples. They watched the monitor as she began going into the first stage of sleep. 

Eventually, her breathing became faster, her eyes flickering underneath her eyelids. 

“Ok, once she calms down, Spengs...do your thing,” Peter said.

“I’d rather just gently shake her,” Egon replied.

“But she’s not in a normal dream state,” Ray explained. “She’s in so deep, it’s gonna take more than that.”

“Fine, But I don’t want to hear any sort of teasing about this!” Egon demanded.

As Janine’s breathing resumed regular speed, the guys politely looked away. Egon leaned over, taking a brief moment to memorize the way she looked at this particular moment. She looked so peaceful, so happy, like an angel. 

Egon bent down, gently raised Janine’s head with his hand and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. It lasted for what seemed like several minutes, Egon putting all of his emotion into that kiss. 

The guys turned around to see if it had worked. As Egon slowly sat back up, Janine remained asleep. He frowned, his eyes reflecting the deep sadness he felt.

“I thought for sure that would work!” Ray said, his voice falling. 

“What more is it gonna take?!” Winston exclaimed.

“Ray, monitor her brain waves,” Egon urged. “I’ll do some research; see if I can find anything.”

Peter grinned. “Maybe we need to lock you two in the lab again? If that don’t work, nothing will!”

Egon gave Peter a look that could’ve frozen over Hell any moment.

Over the next four hours, the guys had tried several things to wake Janine, but to no avail. Winston had placed cold wash cloths on her forehead; Ray had yelled very close to her ears; Peter had even slid an ice cube down the back of her blouse. Nothing had worked.

It was obvious that Egon’s nerves were getting the best of him. He had shut himself in the bunk room with several books, insisting he needed silence to read. He hadn’t stopped for lunch, not even a bathroom break. 

Suddenly, he stood up, running downstairs to the lab. He ran into the lab, holding a book. He came to an abrupt stop as he saw Peter preparing to drop another ice cube down the back of Janine’s blouse.

“PETER!” Egon yelled.

“What?! Just trying to wake her up!” Peter whined, trying to sound innocent.

“If the first two didn’t, what makes you think a third one would?” Winston asked, somewhat sarcastically.

“You know what they say: third one is a charm,” Peter replied.

“Whatcha got there, Iggy?” Ray asked.

“I found this passage that describes a creature that sounds exactly like the Dream Master!” Egon said excitedly. “According to this, the entity draws his power from the strength of people’s wills.”

“So the more strong willed someone is, the more power this thing gets?!” Winston asked.

“Yes,” Egon confirmed.

“Great! But that still doesn’t answer the question: how do we wake her up?!” Peter asked impatiently.

“What else does it say?” Ray asked.

“It says here that people who have been trapped in his dream world must be broken free by the victim’s will to return,” Egon explained.

“I repeat: How. Do. We. Wake. Her. Up?!” Peter said slowly. 

“Yeah, how do we get into her dreams?” Ray asked.

Egon shifted his weight from one foot to the other, blushing. Peter noticed and his classic grin reappeared.

“You are gonna have to get kinky, aren’t you?” Peter asked, his voice dripping with evil.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Peter, but no. Janine needs a constant flow of positive reinforcement to break into her subconscious,” Egon explained.

Peter and Winston exchanged confused looks. 

“Even though people are asleep, factors in the real world can influence what happens in their dreams,” Ray began. 

Peter smiled, understanding. “Yeaahhhhh, things happening around them can work its way into their dreams.”

“So, by talking to her, you’re thinking Janine will be able to hear you in her dream?” Winston asked.

“Yes,” Egon said.

“So, What with the shifting around and blushing?” Peter questioned. “Gonna whisper sweet nothings in her ear?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Egon admitted. 

“It might work,” Ray said, hopeful.

“Well then, let’s give the man some privacy!” Winston said, grabbing Peter by the arm, leading him out of the lab. 

Ray smiled as he started closing the door. 

“Maybe you should propose! That’ll do it for sure!” Peter yelled from the hallway.

Egon rolled his eyes, sliding a stool next to where Janine was sleeping.

******************************  
Janine walked upstairs to the lab. Egon had asked her to come in; she was hoping for another lab moment as before. That thought dissolved quickly once she saw the look on his face. Janine’s blood turned cold as she found herself looking into his cold, blue eyes.

“Whatcha need?” Janine asked cautiously.

“I need the two files from our busts yesterday! I’ve got extra information to add to them!”

“Egon, what's upsetting you?” 

“I’m sorry, Janine. I didn’t mean to act like that. I’m just upset that our lunch date had to be cancelled because of this call we received.!” Egon apologized. 

“I’m sorry, too,” Janine said soothingly. “But we can always reschedule,” she purred, idly playing with his tie. 

“I love you, Janine,” Egon said softly. “I have loved you for a while. I need you.”

“Oh Egon, I love you, too,” she replied. 

**********************  
Janine’s eyes started flickering underneath her eyelids. Egon became excited but continued his soft words of love. 

“Give me your hand, Janine. I love you. Hold onto me,” he whispered.

Janine started to lift her arms, reaching out to him. “Egon,” she whispered.

“Yes, my Love, I’m here,” he said.

“Egon,” she said a little louder, her voice becoming less groggy.  
***********************  
The Dream Master was sweeping through the Manhattan area searching for strong victims when he sensed his hold on Janine was slipping. 

He used his powers to mentally tap into Janine’s mind. He saw Egon’s success in reaching her and trying to break her free.

“So, you think you’d be happier awake?” The Dream Master said to himself. “I’ll make things very uncomfortable for you.”

********************************  
Suddenly, Peter came rushing into the lab. “Spengs! Break it up, we’ve gotta go!”

“Where?! The phone didn’t ring!” Janine replied angrily.

“We’ve got a bust scheduled for 1:00. Or did you forget?” Peter said.

Janine smirked at him but didn’t get her usual response from Peter. He looked a bit ruffled. 

“Sorry,” she answered as she left the lab. As she reached the door, she could hear Peter ask Egon, 

“Seriously, man. What do you see in her? You could do a lot better.”

She started to walk back in there and give him a piece of her mind, but then she heard Egon’s response:

“Perhaps that moment in the lab was a mistake. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Yeah, well, get back to thinking with your big brain,” Peter said.

As the guys left to go to their busting appointment, Janine allowed her tears to flow freely. “Guess i was just a quick fuck,” she thought to herself. 

Later that afternoon, Egon comes downstairs hurriedly, his heavy footsteps heard all the way down. He walks over to Janine’s desk, slamming a file folder down in front of her, making the redhead jump almost out of her chair.

What’s wrong, Honey?” Janine asked sweetly. Her expression changed quickly once she saw that he was furious.

“Don’t ‘Honey’ me! What do you call this!?” 

“I call it a case file that you’ve thrown at me!” She retorted angrily.

“Where are the notes I asked you to add? And the format in which it is typed is completely inadequate!” Egon yelled.

Janine’s face was red with anger. She had always took pride in her work; she knew she had double checked everything before giving it to Egon to sign off on, especially after what happened earlier that day.

“I added the notes you gave me. Or didn’t you see the addendum? And I used the same format I’ve always used, so what’s the problem?!”

“The problem is you are incompetent!” Egon responded. He threw two pages of handwritten notes at her. “These notes are nowhere to be found in this report! Didn’t you learn anything from your previous mistake?!”

She picked the pages up off of her desk where they lay scattered; as she quickly skimmed over them, her face paled.

“I’m sorry, Egon. I didn’t see these. I must have overlooked them. I’ll see that they’re added.”

This was the second time that day Egon had acted out like this towards Janine. Ever since their moment of indiscretion in his lab a week ago, his attitude had changed.

“See that they are!” Egon yelled before abruptly returning to his lab.

As Janine pulled up the file on her computer to add the missing notes to the report, her eyes filled with tears. But she quickly wiped them away, refusing to cry at work. 

Everybody has bad days,” she told herself. “Even Egon.”

Within the hour, Janine had made the adjustments to the file and was taking it back to Egon in the lab. She cautiously approached his work area. 

“Ahem, I have the revised file,” Janine said, handing the file to Egon. 

He took it and read through it. Janine thought she saw a hint of a smile forming.

“Thank you,” he replied flatly.

Janine turned to leave but couldn’t stand it. She turned back around and walked quickly back up to Egon’s work area. 

“What the hell did you mean telling Dr. V you made a mistake?! I heard what the two of you said!”

Egon put down his tools and looked Janine in the eyes. “I believe I may have acted irrationally.”

“So what's that mean?!” Janine asked angrily.

“It means that what happened here was a one time thing. It was very nice, but I believe we need to be more professional.”

“I can’t believe you! Why did you leave the roses? The sweet things you said to me earlier?”

“Janine, I need to be blunt. I choose to not be involved in a romantic relationship. But I can find someone any time should the need arise.”

“So, What now? I go back to my desk until you’re ready for a quick ‘dictation’ again?” 

Egon gave Janine a wicked leer. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

Not knowing what else to say, Janine turned and left the lab. She couldn’t understand what could’ve caused Egon to change his feelings for her that fast. 

************************  
Egon had shouted for the others to join him in the lab. 

“What’s going on?!” Ray shouted. “Is she waking up?”

“I….I don’t know,” Egon said. “I was starting to get through to her. She said my name and reached out for me. But as I was getting ready to take her hands, she jerked them back. Now her breathing has increased and she’s starting to shake her head.”

Ray looked at the brain wave activity on the monitor. “She’s in another REM cycle; a pretty strong one. Whatever it is she’s dreaming, it’s upsetting her.”

“I’ll say; looks more like a damn nightmare!” Peter added. He walked closer and stood by the side of the table where Janine was laying. “Let me see if I can get through to her,” he said.

Egon stood and exchanged places with Peter so he could sit and talk. 

“Janine? It’s Dr. V; can you hear me? Come on, listen to me,” he gently spoke. “Wake up and tell me what’s happening.” His voice was soft and steady, almost hypnotic.

*************************  
Peter came up to Janine’s desk. “What’s wrong with Spengs? When I passed by the lab, he looked pissed. He doesn’t usually look like that when he’s working on a project; he usually looks zoned out.”.

Janine looked at him, desperate for understanding. “I overlooked some notes. After I added them, Egon admitted what happened in the lab was a mistake. I thought I meant more to him than that.”

“You messed up on files again? He told me about the first time. That’s not like you. I told him you were probably distracted, daydreaming about the lab, perhaps?” Peter smirked.

“I honestly didn’t see the notes. And why is he getting so damn upset? It’s never been an issue before,” Janine argued.

“Well, you have been screwing up more than usual lately,” Peter commented, his smile fading.

“Oh really?” Janine stood, hands on her hips. “Since when has my work here suffered?”

Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Well, you screwed up this morning, again just now, you slept with your boss, and now, you’re slacking on the job cause you’re arguing with your other boss!”

“Unreal! Both of you are completely unreal!” Janine yelled. “I’ve bent over backwards for you guys over the years. I’ve been kidnapped, possessed, I’ve worked ungodly hours, taken care of all of you when you were sick! I thought you were my friends. And i thought Egon loved me!” Her voice cracked.

Peter grinned evilly. “What gave you that impression? Egon is a brilliant man, Janine. If you think a simple, low class, screw up of a secretary like yourself is gonna be good enough for him, you’re sadly mistaken. Honestly, the only reason he hasn’t let me fire you is because you’ve got nice legs.”

Janine’s face turned three shades of red. “I don’t believe you!” She screamed at him. 

Peter’s demeanor changed slightly to a little less defensive.

“Come on, now,” Peter coaxed. “Let’s talk; tell me what’s happening in that pretty little brain of yours.”

Janine stood abruptly. “Go to Hell!” She grabbed her purse and left the Firehouse.

****************************  
“Help me hold her down!” Peter was barking out orders, frantically trying to keep Janine from getting up off the table.

“She’s still dreaming, but the brain waves are erratic!” Ray shouted. “She’s either trying to wake up or act out what she’s dreaming!”

It took all the strength Peter, Egon and Winston had to contain her. 

“JANINE!” Egon shouted, trying again to get through to her. 

***************************  
The Dream Master could feel his hold on Janine slipping. “NO!” He shouted. “This can’t happen! My hold on her should be stronger!”

****************************  
Peter had Janine pinned down on the table by her shoulders while Egon held her by the ankles. Winston was applying ice packs around her body, hoping the cold would help rouse her.

Suddenly, Janine’s eyes flew open. Her brain was frantically trying to put together the pieces of what was happening. 

“She’s awake!” Ray yelled.

“Yeah, no shit,” Peter acknowledged.

Janine’s expression suddenly changed to infuriated. She pushed Peter back with all of her might. “Get your fucking hands off me!”

Peter let go and quickly stood back. Egon offered her his hand to help her down. She refused, giving him an even colder look. 

“And YOU!” She addressed Egon. “You go to HELL!”

She jumped down from the table on her own, storming downstairs. Confused, the four men followed her. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. 

“Janine, where are you going? Stay here,” Ray pleaded. 

She didn’t stop or look back; she simply stuck her middle finger up and continued out the door.


	5. Virtual Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine struggles to determine what is real and what isn’t. The guys suit up to battle the Dream Master.

Janine finally got to her apartment. She threw her purse onto the couch and headed for the bedroom. She slipped off her shoes, stockings, skirt and blouse. She changed into a pair of lounge pants and an oversized t-shirt. Feeling both mentally and physically tired, Janine laid down on the bed. Soon, she slipped back into sleep and back into the Dream Master’s grip.

******************************  
Janine called her sister Doris. She hoped that a familiar voice would help her feel better. 

“Hey, Jay! What’s up?” Doris greeted her.

“Hey, I….I need to talk to someone,” Janine said shakily.

“Oh my gosh! What’s happened?” Doris’ voice became very concerned.

“It’s hard to explain. But, in a nutshell, I work for a couple of self centered, egotistical, chauvinist pigs who wouldn’t know a good thing if it came up and kicked them in the ass!” Janine unloaded.

“Hmph, so you finally came to your senses, huh?” Doris said.

“I don’t know what to do. Egon and I had a mind blowing experience in the lab, and…,”

“Wait one minute!” Doris interrupted. “You mean to tell me you had sex with him?!”

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Janine asked defensively. 

“Jay, first of all, isn’t that why you quit your last job? Because you wouldn’t have sex with your boss?”

“No! The reason I quit that job was because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself!”

“What’s the difference?” Doris asked, her voice now becoming slightly rigid.

“The difference is I wanted Egon to! I didn’t mind him touching me! I’ve loved him from the moment I met him!”

“Janine,” her sister had that same don’t-argue-with-me tone in her voice that Janine herself uses from time to time. “You’ve been working there for what - seven years now? And where has it gotten you? You make enough to barely make ends meet, you can’t even afford a decent car. And there’s nowhere for growth at that place. You’re stuck.”

Janine started to get angry. “I called you for some fucking support! Not to remind me of my mistakes!” Her voice was beginning to crack again as she tried to maintain her composure.

“I’m sorry, Jay,” Doris said. “But let’s face it; you’re not getting any younger. It’s passed time for you to settle down.”

Janine let out a nervous laugh. “Easy for you to say! You’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted! Egon is the only man I’ll ever love!”

Janine could practically hear her sister’s head shaking. Then Doris spoke:

“Whatever made you think you could land a man like Egon? He has 4 PhDs and is a genius! All you have is a community college education.”

“But Doris,” Janine began.

Her sister continued: “And you could dress more professionally. You look like a damn street walker! Not to mention he could get any woman he wanted. Someone with more curves, bigger jugs, and taller.”

Janine slammed the phone down, tears streaming down her face. She went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she looked in the mirror, she studied her reflection. She saw the flaws her sister spoke of. 

“She’s right,” Janine said to herself. “What chance could I ever have with Egon? He deserves someone who’s more like him: highly educated, holds several degrees, taller, prettier.”

Janine laid back down. She tried to sleep but kept tossing and turning. Finally, she opened her eyes and sat up. She suddenly realized what she needed to do.

********************************  
Ecto-1 hurried through the streets of Manhattan, eventually heading in the direction of Janine’s apartment.

“Where do you think she is?” Ray asked worriedly. 

“She could be anywhere,” Winston replied.

“Spengs, how's that PKE meter coming?” Peter asked.

“Almost got it,” Egon said, making one final adjustment. “Ok! We’ll be able to pick up Janine’s biorhythm!”

“I thought you had a couple of extra meters?” Winston asked.

Egon adjusted his glasses. “They’re all in need of repair. After that bust last week, the electrical surge caused them to short circuit. I haven’t had time to repair them.”

“I don’t think we’re gonna need the meter,” Peter said slowly, leaning up in his seat to get a better look out the window.

Winston stopped the vehicle; traffic had come to a standstill on the Brooklyn Bridge. 

“Hey! Isn’t that Janine’s car?!” Ray shouted. 

All four men jumped out of Ecto-1, racing up to the edge of the gathering crowd. Horrified, they saw a woman standing on the edge of the bridge railing, preparing to jump. 

“Janine! Stop!” Egon screamed, running to her.

“Stop or I’ll jump!” Janine yelled.

Egon stopped but tried to calmly talk to her. 

“Janine, whatever it is that you think I’ve done, please tell me. Whatever it is, I’m sorry. You know I love you!”

Janine looked at Egon, tears streaming down her face. “Oh yeah?! What’s love to you, Egon?! Is love making someone else feel like shit?! Or how about having mind blowing sex then shut me out? Why are you playing games like this? If all you want is an office romp, then go fuck someone else. I want more than that! I’m not a cheap office fling! I’m so sorry I haven’t lived up to your professional standards, Dr. Spengler!”

“Janine, please don’t do this?! Maybe what I did in the lab wasn’t right, but I don’t want to lose you!” Egon pleaded. 

“It’s too late! After I’m gone, you’ll be able to hire a REAL secretary - one with a fancy degree and a body of a goddess!” Janine yelled in anger.

Janine threw one leg over the edge to jump, but Egon dashed to her side, grabbing her firmly around the waist, and pulling her away from the railing. She fought to get away, but finally collapsed in his arms, sobbing heavily. 

Rescue personnel had been called by someone in the crowd of onlookers that had gathered. Peter stepped in quickly. 

“Thank you for your swift response, but it’s really not necessary,” Peter said, effectively blocking them from getting to Janine. 

“We were told she’s suicidal,” one of the paramedics replied. “We have to take her to the hospital for evaluation.”

“She’s not suicidal,” Peter explained. “She’s been possessed. We need to get her back to the Firehouse and take care of it. She’ll be fine after that.”

“She was screaming and trying to jump; that’s suicidal behavior as far as we’re concerned,” the lead paramedic said sternly. 

Ray stepped forward with a PKE meter. “These readings show that we need to get her back to the Firehouse. Once we get this entity in containment, she’ll be back to normal. But we’ve gotta get her back now!” He gave Peter a slight wink that the paramedics couldn’t see.

The lead paramedic backed off but clearly wasn’t happy about it. “Fine, But get her to the hospital if she still shows any signs of suicidal behavior afterwards.”

“Will do, thanks,” Peter said.

Peter and Ray joined Egon and Winston; they were trying to get Janine calmed down enough to get her into Ecto. She finally passed out from a severe panic attack. They got her back to the Firehouse in record time, Egon carrying her upstairs and laying her in his bed in the bunk room.

“Is she asleep or sleep walking?” Ray asked.

“The PKE meter shows no signs of possession,” Egon said. 

“She could’ve been having a night terror,” Peter said. “She was awake enough to function, like driving to the bridge. But her perception of reality is altered. She either thinks she’s still dreaming or she honestly believes what she dreamt is happening.”

The others looked at him as if he had grown an extra head.

“The mind is tricky,” Peter explained. “Throw in a ghost that likes to screw around with people’s emotions and there you go.”

“What do we do?” Winston asked.

“Stay with her til she wakes up,” Peter replied. “I’ll have a little session with her to determine what’s going on.”

Thirty minutes later, Janine slowly woke up. She sat up, her eyes quickly scanning the room to assess her surroundings. She saw Peter sitting in the lounge chair next to the sofa she was on. She started to jump up but Peter grabbed her by the wrist.

“Wait! Janine! It’s me, Peter,” he said gently. “You’re in our rec room. I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what? Why do you suddenly give a shit?” Janine said angrily. 

“Help me understand what I did to make you mad,” he said calmly. 

Janine looked at him, confused. “You don’t KNOW?!”

“Egon and I have obviously done something; please, let’s talk and get it all out in the open,” Peter suggested, again his voice calm and soothing.

Janine slightly relaxed, causing Peter to release her wrist. She settled back down on the sofa. 

“I thought you were my friend,” Janine said sadly. “And I thought Egon loved me, but I was just some cheap thrill for him. He told me he could have a romantic interest whenever he wanted. And that I’m incompetent.”

Peter started putting the puzzle together. “You know Egon doesn’t really think that.”

Janine shook her head. “No! You both think I’m some uneducated tramp; that he could do better than someone like me.”

She broke down into heavy sobs. Peter scooted over to the edge of his chair, reaching for her hands. She jerked away.

“No! Both of you just leave me alone! You should’ve let me die! My own sister agrees with you two! Winston and Ray probably do, too! I have no one else that will stand by me. NO ONE!” Janine screamed. 

Peter sat back, his mind reeling from the things Janine had said. 

“I’m gonna be right back; stay here,” Peter instructed her.

Janine didn’t answer; she just sat on the sofa staring at her hands in her lap, wringing them over and over.

Peter stepped down the hall to the lab where the others were sitting. 

“Guys, the Dream Master has really fucked her up,” Peter said. “She thinks we all hate her, that she’s incompetent, and she thinks Egon just used her for a quickie. I think her perception of everything has been altered. She’s not sure what’s real and what was a dream.”

“What do we do about it?” Egon asked. “Do I need to speak with her? Is there something I need to say?”

Peter shook his head. “No, I think she sees you as someone she can’t trust. I’m not sure she trusts me.”

“She trusts you enough to talk to you about it,” Winston pointed out.

“What if I talk to her or Winston?” Ray suggested.

“Possibly,” Peter replied. “I’m not sure where she stands with you two. I don’t think you guys played a huge part of her dream. She mentioned you but didn’t sound too upset about it.”

“Why don’t you go, Ray?” Winston asked.

Ray nodded and went to the rec room.

Peter walked over to Egon, placing his hand on his shoulder. Egon looked very distraught. 

“She’ll snap back, Spengs,” Peter said lightly. “She’s loved you from day one. She just has to remember that. And that what she dreamt was the Dream Master screwing with her memories.”

“I hope so,” Egon said solemnly. “It hurts me deeply that she hates me. The look in her eyes is cold.”

“She’s just confused,” Peter said. “Deep down she knows you’re not like that.”

Ray spent a few minutes talking to Janine. She told him what she had told Peter. 

“I don’t know what’s real. Am I still dreaming? Are you gonna turn on me too?” Janine asked, fear in her voice.

“You’re not dreaming. And no, I won’t turn on you,” Ray reassured her. “We’re all here to help you. Especially Egon.”

Janine started fidgeting with her hands again. “I don’t wanna talk to him,” she said quickly. “I’m nothing to him.”

“No!” Ray said. “He loves you deeply! This dream world Egon was someone the Dream Master made up to trick you. He made up a dream world Peter, too. All done to trick you.”

Janine shook her head.

“He made up your sister, too. He knew if he could make you think everyone in your life was against you, he could weaken you,” Ray explained. 

“Why would he do that?” Janine asked. 

“I remember the Dream Master saying earlier that he wants people with strong wills. But if you fight against him, he’ll make things difficult for you. I guess if you don’t cooperate, he turns your dreams into nightmares as punishment?” Ray said, thinking his theory through as he talked to Janine. 

“Excuse me, Janine. I need to tell the guys about this!” Ray excused himself and ran back to the lab. 

As he explained his theory, the others nodded in agreement. 

“But how do we convince her that we’re not the Dream versions of ourselves?” Egon asked. 

“Maybe If we defeat this bastard, it’ll reverse and break the spell?” Winston suggested. “Maybe the other people he’s trapped, too?”

“Yes, that does seem prudent,” Egon agreed.

Suddenly, Slimer came flying into the room. 

“Peeeteerrrr!” He screamed. 

“Hold on, Spud! Calm down and tell us what’s wrong,” Peter said.

Slimer babbled a few seconds before grabbing Peter’s arm and hurriedly pulled him towards the kitchen.

In seconds, the four men were standing in the doorway, watching as Janine stood in front of the sink, her hand grasped firmly around a huge kitchen knife. 

Peter walked towards her. “Janine, step back this way, hon,” he said trying to remain calm. “Give me that knife.”

She turned and looked at him. “I’m tired, Peter,” she said. “I’m tired; I just want to sleep.”

“She’s under his spell again!” Egon whispered. “She must’ve fallen back to sleep, and he’s controlling her again!”

“If you wanna sleep, take my hand,” Peter urged. “Take my hand and you can sleep as long as you need to.”

Ray walked up next to Peter. “Janine, come on. Please? Take our hands and you can rest.”

She turned to look at Ray. “I want the pain to stop,” Janine said groggily. “Just so tired.”

As she stepped a little closer to the sink, she raised the knife and laid it across her wrist. Ray rushed to her, reaching for the knife. Peter had ran over too, holding her other hand back. Ray eased the knife from Janine’s hand. Peter walked her back over to the couch. She sat down and rested her head on the arm of the couch. Peter gently shook her shoulder. 

“Janine? Open your eyes. Don’t go back to sleep.”

Janine slowly opened her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. She held her hand up to her head. 

“Damn! My head is killing me!” She said. 

“Could you get her some aspirin and water?” Peter asked, looking directly at Egon.

He complied, bringing it to Peter as requested. As he did, Peter carefully watched Janine’s reaction. Her back stiffened, but she didn’t move.

Peter took the water and aspirin, handing them to Janine. She took it then sat back. But she never took her eyes off of Egon. 

“Sit here and rest, but don’t go back to sleep,” Peter instructed her. Janine agreed.

Peter walked back over to the others, leading them into the kitchen. Janine was still in their sight but out of earshot.

“We need to make sure she stays awake,” Peter explained. “It seems every time she goes to sleep, the Dream Master tries to make her want to kill herself.”

“I think it’s his way of punishing her,” Ray said. 

“Or keeping her in line, under his control,” Egon added, his voice tinged with anger.

“Easy Big Guy,” Peter said. 

“He’s trying to take her away from us...from ME!” Egon said. “He’s not going to win.”

“Of course not,” Winston said. “We always get our ghost!”

“First, we’ve gotta get Janine back on our side,” Peter said. “Then we can focus on getting this asshole!”

Peter walked back to the rec room and sat down in the chair facing Janine. 

“Tell me Why you keep wanting to hurt yourself,” he asked.

“I want the pain to stop,” she replied quietly.

“What pain?” Peter gently asked.

“Everyone has turned against me. If I’m no good to anyone, I might as well end it. I have no pride in myself or my work; no one would miss me. Hell, I’d be doing everyone a favor!” She said angrily, her voice gradually rising.

“You’re not understanding what’s happening,” Peter began but Janine quickly interrupted him.

“Yeah! That’s right! I’m not understanding because I’m so incompetent! What can someone with a community college education possibly understand, right?!”

She abruptly stood up, quickly walking towards the doorway leading downstairs. 

In seconds, Egon had rushed over, blocking her exit. Janine stopped, looking at him in the eyes with a stare as cold as ice. 

“Get outta my way!” she demanded.

Without saying a word and without hesitation, Egon pulled Janine up against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned down and kissed her - a long, gentle yet passionate kiss on the lips. As they kissed, he slowly moved his hands from around her and cupped her face. As he pulled away, he looked into her eyes. He saw a warm, gentle glow in Janine’s eyes. A smile slowly spread across her face.

Peter, Ray and Winston exchanged shocked looks. 

“In front of all of us!” Ray whispered.

“He didn’t even think twice,” Peter replied, smiling.

“He knows what he wants and got it,” Winston said, smiling as well.

“Egon? What’s going on? Am i still dreaming?” Janine asked, blinking several times to wake herself up fully.

“You’re not dreaming,” Egon said, smiling. “And you’re not incompetent. You’re brilliant, beautiful, and the sexiest woman I have ever known. Not to mention that you are smarter than anyone I know - it doesn’t matter what level of education you have. You’ve got more common sense and street smarts than I do. And look at my education!” He laughed. 

Janine giggled in response. “Well, I’ll agree with you on that point!”

Peter clapped his hands together. “Ok! Now that we’ve gotten that outta the way, let’s figure out how to get our ghost!” He gave a sly wink to Egon.


	6. Demon at the Docks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters face off with the Dream Master.

Egon and Ray were doing further research on the Dream Master, trying to find anything else they could use to fight him.

Janine came into the lab; she was bringing in some sandwiches for them. 

“Janine,” Ray began, “your dream turned bad at what point?”

Egon watched as she tensed up slightly.

“I heard Egon calling me, telling me to reach for him,” she said slowly. 

Egon noticed as cold chills ran down her arms. He quietly took her hand and held it, giving a slight squeeze. She looked at him and smiled. Janine returned the gesture.

“That’s when everything went to hell,” she said.

“Where are you going with this, Raymond?” Egon asked, worried how it was affecting Janine.

“I thought maybe if we could determine what was going on in her dream, we could figure out a weak spot in the Dream Master,” Ray explained.

Janine sat down next to Egon. “I’m ok. And I think you might have something!” Janine said excitedly. “How did you reach me, Egon?”

“I sat next to you while you were sleeping and….,” his voice trailed off, his cheeks starting to blush.

Janine smiled. 

“He talked to you,” Ray finished for him. “I don’t know what he said; we left the room.”

“I told you to reach for me, to take my hand,” Egon said.

“So, I heard you in my dream?!” Janine said, getting more excited. “How did I hear you if I was asleep?”

“Outside factors influence people’s dreams,” Ray explained. “Your subconscious can pick up those factors on some level and they work their way into the Dream.”

“The Dream Master must have sensed that his hold on you was slipping,” Egon added. 

“And he had told us when we first met him that people who disobey him will suffer from nightmares,” Ray said.

“What does he get out of this?” Janine asked.

“We’re not completely sure,” Egon said. “But he draws his power from people’s dreams somehow. I need to research it further.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then,” Janine said, getting up. 

Egon walked with her to the door. Ray smiled, keeping his back turned to give them privacy.

“Don’t leave the Firehouse, not until we get this thing,” Egon whispered, placing his hand on the side of Janine’s face. 

She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes, enjoying the gentle feel. “I’ll stay, as long as you need me to,” she replied softly.

Egon leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He released her. As Janine started to walk back to the rec room, she looked back at Egon. They both shared a look of extreme love in their eyes. 

“I love you,” Janine mouthed the words to Egon.

He smiled. “I love you, too,” he mouthed back.

Egon returned to the lab. Ray was in deep thought. He was tossing around some ideas.

“Egon,” Ray started, “you were able to reach Janine by talking to her. The more outside factors influenced her dream, the weaker the Dream Master’s Hold got.”

“So…,” Egon joined in, “the Dream Master May be able to turn people’s dreams into nightmares, but if too many outside factors work against him, his control slips, allowing them to wake up.”

“Right!” Ray said excitedly. “Everybody under his control has something that will help bring them out of it! For Janine, it was you.”

“I can’t go all over Manhattan telling people to wake up, Ray,” Egon said annoyed.

“No! But if we can bust the Dream Master, that should release everybody!”

“And it took a lot to bring Janine back. Possibly because his hold on her was stronger,” Egon theorized. “I’m assuming the more strong willed a person is, the more control he has over them.”

“We need to find a way besides the proton streams,” Ray said. “Every time he’s been able to get out of the streams or deflect them.”

“And I believe it would be best if we keep Janine awake. I’m afraid if she goes back to sleep, the Dream Master will take control of her again,” Egon said.

“Good idea,” Ray said. 

Egon and Ray brought the others up to speed on what they had figured out about the Dream Master, including Janine.

“But what's he after?” Janine asked.

“Most likely the same thing the Sandman was,” Egon replied. “World domination.”

“Yeah, if everyone is asleep, it won’t be a problem!” Ray added.

“And if anybody tries to break free, he causes nightmares to keep them in line,” Winston said.

“Yes,” Egon answered. 

“That SON OF A BITCH!” Janine shouted. “I could feel him in my head right before he knocked me out! So he uses memories to control the dreams?!”

“That’s what we think, yes,” Ray said.

“Oooh! Then I guess we know why it was so difficult to wake you up!” Peter teased. “Based on recent events….”

“Oh shut up, Venkman!” Janine shouted, blushing profusely.

“We believe it’s best if you try to stay awake, Janine,” Egon said gently. 

“Well, let me make some coffee!” Janine replied. 

“Yeah, Maybe we should slip some No Doze in your coffee!” Peter added.

Janine ignored Peter’s last comment and headed to the kitchen. 

Ray and Winston went downstairs to get their equipment ready. Egon pulled Peter aside. 

“Peter,” Egon whispered, “should we keep Janine with us or at the Firehouse? Do you think she could handle facing the Dream Master?”

Peter looked at his friend very seriously. “I don’t know if she could handle it, but honestly, I’m afraid to leave her alone. She’s tried to kill herself twice while under his control. I’m not convinced that she’s completely free of him. I think it’s best if we keep her with us; that way we can watch her.”

Egon nodded. 

“So what’s the plan?” Peter asked.

Egon adjusted his glasses. “Ray and I believe we are going to need the element of surprise. The Dream Master Can deflect the proton streams if he sees it coming.” 

Peter grinned wickedly. “So, make sure he doesn’t see it?”

Egon returned the grin. “Yes, here’s our plan….”

***********************************  
An hour later, the Ghostbusters were headed towards the docks by the Hudson River. They had sent Slimer out as a scout to see where the Dream Master was. Ray had given him a radio to talk to them in Ecto. 

Winston parked Ecto-1 two blocks away to make sure the Dream Master didn’t see them. Janine had on her jumpsuit but wasn’t given a proton pack. 

“Don’t you think I need to help?” She asked.

“We think it’s safer if you stay close to Ecto,” Egon said. “I don’t want to take the chance of him taking control of you again.”

“But what if this plan doesn’t work? You’ll need back up!” Janine pleaded.

“Janine, please,” Egon said gently. “I don’t want to lose you.”

He then leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Janine smiled but it was obvious she was worried. 

“It’ll be ok,” Ray reassured her. “Slimer will be here with you.”

Peter took the Spud aside and gave him directions in private. “Ok Spud,” he whispered. “I want you to keep an eye on Janine, Ok?”

“Uh-huh, Uh-huh!” Slimer nodded excitedly, happy to feel like he was helping.

“If she starts getting sleepy, play cards with her to keep her awake,” Peter continued, handing Slimer a deck of cards. “If anything bad happens, come get us right away!”

Slimer nodded again. 

“You understand?” Peter asked.

“Yes Shir!” Slimer said, giving Peter a military salute. 

Peter smiled. “Ok Spud. Do your thing!”

Slimer and Janine waved uneasily as the guys made their way to where the Dream Master was. Ray could see the concern in Egon’s eyes.

“She’s gonna be ok,” he said, trying to reassure him.

Egon gave Ray a smile which was extremely fake, but Ray didn’t say anything. Deep down, he was worried for her, too.

As the Ghostbusters approached the area where the Dream Master was, they did one last equipment check. 

“How’s our secret weapon?” Winston asked.

“Ready to go!” Ray beamed, the controls firmly in his hands.

“Let’s do this,” Peter said, a look of extreme determination on his face.

Meanwhile, back at Ecto-1, Janine was playing cards with Slimer. But she was becoming increasingly sleepy. Slimer tried to keep Janine awake, but he soon realized he couldn’t. She had gone so long without adequate rest that falling asleep was inevitable.

Slimer headed quickly for the guys. As he got closer to them, he slowed down, not wanting to give away his position or the guys. 

Janine opened her eyes, frantically searching for the Ghostbusters. She could hear screams and moans as well as a hideous sounding laughter.

“That’s gotta be the Dream Master,” she thought. 

She ran towards the sounds, stopping suddenly when she turned the corner. Janine tried to scream but no sound would come out. Before her lay the guys: Winston laying face down on the pavement with blood pouring out from underneath his body; Ray was slumped over against the wall of a warehouse with what looked like the remains of a proton pack that had exploded taking half of him with it; Peter laying on his side with a huge gash across his chest with blood everywhere; and then there was Egon, who had dropped to his knees holding his left arm as it had been brutally beaten, blood running down the side of his face. 

Janine ran to him, kneeling in front of him. “Egon!” She screamed. “Please, say something!”

He looked at her and simply said, “We tried,” then he slumped over against Janine’s chest, dead.

“OH GOD, NOOOOOO!” Janine screamed. She sat there cradling Egon’s body, rocking back and forth. 

Then it hit her: “he makes people have nightmares when they disobey him; it’s how he keeps everyone in line.”

“This isn’t real,” Janine whispered to herself. “THIS ISN'T REAL!!!” She shouted over and over. She sat still, trying to listen to the sounds around her. She suddenly heard a whirring sound above her head. She looked up and saw what looked like a flying ghost trap of sorts. It was one of Egon and Ray’s latest toys; a remote control ghost trap that can fly. 

“They’re going for a surprise attack from above!” She whispered to herself.

Janine gently laid Egon’s body on the ground and grabbed his proton pack. She powered it up and headed for the Dream Master. 

She turned the corner and, sure enough, he was there, still gloating over his defeat of the Ghostbusters. Janine stepped forward, and without a word, fired. The Dream Master stopped the stream and reversed it to head back towards Janine. She quickly unstrapped and dropped the pack right before it blew. 

Then, she looked around. Somehow, the remote controlled trap was still flying around. Janine ran and took the controller from Ray’s hands. She aimed it directly at the Dream Master so it was coming up from behind. As he was laughing, she activated the trap, causing him to start pulling into it. 

“What?!! Noooo!” The Dream Master cried. “You should not be able to do this!” He glared directly at Janine. 

“Well, I am!! Say good night, BITCH!” Janine screamed as the trap finished pulling in the ghost. Just before the Dream Master was completely sucked into the trap, he let out one last blood curdling scream and shot out a blast of orange light at Janine. It hit her, causing her to stumble backwards off the docks, falling into the river. 

Suddenly, Janine became aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep again and she was now fully awake. And wet. And she was going to drown.


	7. Ending the Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters fight to capture the Dream Master and to save Janine.

The Ghostbusters hadn’t fought a ghost this strong since Gozer. The battle was intense with proton streams firing from almost every direction. But each time, the Dream Master was able to deflect them. 

“Increase the power!” Winston shouted over the noise of the proton packs.

They all fired together at an increased strength, but again, the Dream Master deflected them. “You fools! How much longer will you fight before you realize you cannot win!” He taunted.

“Say the word Peter and I’ll do it!” Ray said.

“Hold on, one more minute,” Peter replied. “The timing has to be right.”

Just then, Slimer flew into view, heading for Peter. 

“Peteeerrrr’l Slimer yelled. He held onto Peter’s arm with tremendous strength. “Ja-niiiinne!” 

Peter’s face paled. “Is she asleep?” He asked.

Slimer simply nodded. 

“Damnit!” Peter shouted. “Ray, are you ready?!”

“Say the word!” Ray replied.

“Wait!” Egon screamed as he saw Janine running towards them. 

She looked panicked, almost terrified. The Dream Master watched her as she ran behind him, laughing the entire time.

“She will suffer as never before!” he taunted. “Her will is very strong. If she will not obey me, then she will die!”

“Hit it Ray!” Peter yelled.

Ray activated the remote ghost trap. It flew in from behind the Dream Master where they had it hidden. Peter, Winston and Egon fires at the ghost trying to keep his attention focused on them. 

Ray almost had the trap in position when the Dream Master heard the whirring sound of its propellers. He turned just in time to knock it down from the sky. 

The ghost then blasted Ray with an orange beam that knocked him down, temporarily taking his breath away. Winston and Peter scrambled to cover him from another blast. 

Egon grabbed Janine’s arm as she was running towards him. He looked into her eyes; her pupils were dilated. She also looked as if she was looking straight through him instead of at him. 

“Janine,” Egon calmly spoke. “We’re trying to bust the Dream Master. But you must stay away from here. I don’t want you to get hurt. We’re trying to help you.”

Janine jerked away from him, her features contorting in a look of both disgust and anger. Suddenly, she broke free and started running towards Ray. He was still struggling to catch his breath. Winston and Peter were trying feverishly to get the ghost in a better position. Egon thought he knew what Janine had in mind, so he rejoined the battle with his proton pack. 

While the three Busters kept the Dream Master preoccupied, Janine took the controller from Ray’s hands. She activated the flying ghost trap, bringing it up behind the ghost. As the guys held him in place, Janine opened the trap. It immediately started pulling the ghost inside. 

The Dream Master screamed as he was quickly being sucked in, “Noooo! This is my world to conquer!”

“Not anymore!” Peter yelled. 

Janine had slowly and unknowingly moved closer to the edge of the docks during the battle, trying to maneuver the ghost trap around. Just as the Dream Master was about to become completely trapped, he managed to shoot out one last orange blast. It hit Janine, causing her to stumble backwards, falling into the river.

“JANINE!” Egon shouted. 

“GO! WE’VE GOT THIS!” Winston shouted.

Egon swiftly stripped off his pack and without hesitation jumped into the river. He quickly found Janine. He grabbed her underneath her arms, lifting her to the surface. As he swam back to the docks, Peter and Winston had retrieved a rope from the back of Ecto-1. They had gotten accustomed to carrying around odd items over the years. 

Winston held one end of the rope while Peter threw the other end to Egon. He was able to catch it with his free hand while supporting Janine with the other. Peter climbed halfway down the side of the pier, helping Egon pull Janine up out of the water. Winston met Peter as he handed her off, then helping Egon. 

They laid her on the ground, searching for a pulse. Winston shook his head, his fingers still resting on Janine’s neck. 

Egon positioned Janine so he could start CPR. Peter knelt on the other side preparing to start chest compressions. Egon began giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation, alternating with Peter performing compressions. Ray stood back trying to console Slimer, who kept babbling something about “Janine no bye-bye.”

After three full rounds of CPR, Janine opened her eyes, coughing up what must have felt like half the Hudson River. Egon helped ease her up and over so she could spit it out. She then took several deep breaths in between coughing. 

“Easy there, it’s going to be ok now,” Egon said soothingly, rubbing small circles on her back. 

Winston came back from Ecto with several blankets. He wrapped one around Egon, another around Janine. He gave Peter one as well; he had gotten fairly soaked helping Egon pull her up on the docks.

Janine sagged over heavily leaning against Egon’s chest. She was trembling, both from the chill of being wet and adrenaline. 

“That was one helluva move, Janine!” Winston congratulated.

“Yeah, how’d you manage to do that in your sleep?” Ray asked.

“That can wait,” Egon said protectively. “Right now, let’s get her home.”

Winston pulled up to Janine’s apartment building, idling while Egon helped Janine out. 

“Thanks guys,” Egon said, waving them off.

“Try and stay warm!” Peter yelled, his head stuck out of the side window as Ecto-1 headed back towards the Firehouse. 

Janine unlocked the apartment door. She stepped inside, dropping the blanket on the floor. She barely noticed when Egon closed and locked the door. 

“Why don’t you get a warm shower?” Egon suggested. 

Janine simply nodded and headed for the bathroom. 

Egon picked up the wet blanket and stretched it out over one of the kitchen chairs to dry. He could hear the water running in the shower so he made himself comfortable in the living room. 

About five minutes later, the water shut off. Egon thought that was an awfully short shower. He waited a beat before heading towards the bedroom door, which Janine had shut. The bathroom is adjoined to the bedroom. Egon turned the bedroom door knob but it was locked.

“Janine?” Egon asked, very concerned by this point. 

There was no answer. 

“Janine, please open the door. Are you alright?” He pleaded. 

Still no answer. He could hear movement behind the door. 

“I’ll be in the living room if you need anything,” Egon offered. He sat back down on the couch but was highly anxious. He expected some nervousness with Janine after everything she had been through. But this was more than he might be able to handle alone. 

He waited another couple of minutes before making the decision to go back to the bedroom. As soon as Egon stood up, he heard the door open. He stopped and waited. 

Janine cautiously walked into the living room. She looked as if she stepped in the shower, let the water run over her body and got out. Egon wasn’t even sure if she had dried off. Her clothes were sticking to her body. 

He made a move towards her, but she stepped back. Egon stood still. He felt like his heart was breaking, but he wanted to help Janine. And if space is what she needed, he was willing to give it to her. 

He slowly stepped back towards the couch. “I’m sorry. I’ll stay here.”

Janine visibly relaxed, but her face was still tight with some emotion Egon couldn’t figure out. He wasn’t good at the whole emotional thing anyway. But he had gotten good at reading Janine’s body language over the years. And right now, she was completely unreadable.

“I….I’m….I…..don’t know what’s real anymore,” Janine said in a weak voice. 

“Do you feel comfortable talking about it?” Egon asked. 

She bit her bottom lip, wringing her hands. “I...don’t know….”

Egon looked at Janine and realized that he wasn’t the one for her to talk to. “Is it ok for me to call Peter? He can help.”

Janine nodded, slowly stepping back into the kitchen. She stayed there for a while before sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs.

Forty-five minutes later, Peter arrived at Janine’s apartment via cab. Winston and Ray had stayed at the Firehouse in case any calls came in. 

“So exactly what’s going on?” Peter asked.

Egon explained what happened with the shower and then how Janine had been acting since then. 

“It’s like she’s reverted back to the way she was the first time we snapped her out of it,” Egon said warily. 

“Why don’t you kiss her?” Peter asked smiling. 

Egon only gave him an icy stare.

“Ok, sorry. Just trying to loosen things up,” Peter said. Then he became serious. “I’m gonna talk to her. You stay here and don’t say anything.”

Egon agreed, sitting down on the couch. 

As Peter approached Janine seated at the kitchen table, she tensed up, looking nervously at her surroundings.

He sat down in the chair across from her. 

“Hi Janine,” Peter said gently.

She didn’t say anything. 

“How are you feeling?” Peter asked.

Again, she didn’t say anything. 

“Janine, I know you’re confused right now. But I promise you, I’m here to help. So is Egon. You’re awake, this isn’t a dream.”

She finally looked at Peter directly, her expression relaxing a bit. “This is real?”

Peter smiled. “Yes. It’s real.”

“And the Dream Master has been captured?” Janine asked.

“Yes! Thanks to you!” Peter said. 

“What do you mean?” Janine asked, confused.

“You ran to Egon first, then over to Ray. He had been knocked down pretty hard and was trying to catch his breath. You took the remote control and took over the flying ghost trap. We held the Dream Master in place while you positioned the trap,” Peter explained.

“So that wasn’t a Dream?” Janine asked, her voice sounding excited.

“You were asleep but we think you were acting out your dream,” Peter said. 

“Yeah! I was dreaming that I did that!” Janine said becoming even more excited. 

“What else did you dream?” Peter asked, listening for details that would explain Janine’s recent behavior.

Janine suddenly got quiet again, looking down at her fingers intertwined together. “You were dead,” she whispered.

Peter leaned forward trying to hear her better. “What was that?”

Janine raised her head, looking at Peter. Tears were ready to run down her face. “You were dead,” she repeated louder. “All of you...dead.”

Peter slowly reached over to hold Janine’s hand. “I’m sorry, Janine,” he said gently.

“It was gruesome,” she explained. “And Egon…,” her voice trailed off, looking at Egon on the couch. Then she looked back at Peter. “He was the last one to die….in my arms.”

Janine burst into tears. Peter motioned for Egon to come over. Egon had heard everything and was eager to hold her. 

Egon sat down in the chair next to Janine. He held her in his arms, hugging her to his chest as she sobbed heavily. 

“It’s ok, I’m right here,” he said softly as he stroked her hair. “I’m right here, I’m ok.” He held her for several long minutes. Slowly Janine calmed down. 

Peter decided the couple needed some privacy. “I’m gonna take a little stroll,” he told Egon, giving him a warm smile.

Egon returned the smile, mouthing the words “thank you.”

Peter gave him a nod and quietly left.


	8. Happy At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life finally gets back to normal.

Peter had left Egon and Janine alone at her apartment. He had gotten Janine to admit that what had terrified her so much was that she had dreamt that they all had died. Once she realized they were all alive and well, she could move forward. And that required some private time between her and Egon. 

Janine had finally stopped crying. She looked at Egon, wiping her eyes. “I love you so much it hurts,” she admitted. “And when I thought you had died…..,” she bit her bottom lip trying to keep herself from crying again. 

Egon took Janine’s hands and they stood up together. He raised her hands up to his lips and gently brushed her knuckles with a kiss. “I love you too,” he told her. “I would do anything for you. That’s why your safety is so important to me. But I want you to know that you mean more to me than just...what was it you said? ‘A quick fuck’?”

Janine looked at Egon, shocked that he would repeat a word like that. But she knew he was trying to make a point. 

Egon Continued, “I would like to take you out on an official date, if that’s ok?” He blushed slightly but kept eye contact.

Janine smiled wide, her eyes bright. “Of course! Yes! I’d love to!” She practically bounced with excitement.

Egon smiled. “How about this Friday at 7:00? A nice dinner?”

“Yes! Yes!” Janine almost squealed, tears forming again.

“But you have to stop crying,” he gently teased. 

“These tears are happy ones,” Janine replied. 

Peter returned thirty minutes later. He knocked and carefully peeked inside as he opened the door.

“Anybody home?” He asked in a sing song voice.

“It’s fine, Dr. V,” Janine said with a giggle. She was fixing sandwiches in the kitchen. 

Peter joined Egon on the couch. “Whatcha been up to?” He asked Egon with a wink.

Egon smiled. “Just talking.”

“And setting up a date!” Janine added. “Want a sandwich?”

“Please,” Peter replied.

“So, Spengs, whaddya think about the fact that Janine acted out part of her dream and actually did it for real?” Peter asked with a mouthful of food.

“Just like what happened with the Sandman,” Egon replied, trying not to look directly at Peter for fear of seeing his food. “Janine already knew how the Dream Master worked. She used that knowledge to control her dream.”

“Well done, Janine!” Peter said happily. “Soooo, date night, huh?” 

Egon grinned while Janine giggled. 

“Yep! Friday night!” Janine replied.

“Great! So I guess you’re gonna need the day off?” Peter said grinning.

Janine narrowed her eyes. “What are you trying to say, Dr. V? I’m high maintenance and need all day?” She couldn’t help but grin.

Peter worked fast to turn it around. “No! I meant you might want to take extra time so you can look just right for your man!”

Janine laughed. “Well, if you’re offering, I’m not gonna turn it down!”

“Ok! That settles it then!” Peter slapped his hands together. 

Janine assured Egon and Peter that she was ok, so they decided to return to the Firehouse. Peter went downstairs ahead of Egon to catch a cab. And, of course, to give Egon more time with Janine. 

She stood at the door to say goodbye. Egon held one hand to the side of her face and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow at work?” He asked. 

“Yes. And so ready for Friday!” she replied.

Egon smiled. “Yes.”

********************************  
Friday finally arrived. Janine had taken the day off to make sure she looked perfect for her date with Egon. He had told her they would be having dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. So Janine had bought a beautiful royal blue full length dress. She had also bought a pair of silver strap pumps along with a silver clutch. She would wear a simple yet elegant silver necklace with a small blue sapphire jewel in the middle with matching earrings that dangled just a bit past her earlobe. 

Egon had chosen a black pants suit with matching jacket. A crisp white shirt would finish off the look along with a light gray tie. Of course, those colors made his gorgeous blue eyes pop as well as his uniquely blonde hair. He wasn’t as nervous as he thought he would be. Actually, he was excited. He hadn’t planned any other activities for the evening except dinner. But he was secretly hoping Janine would be open to “suggestions.”

The evening went very nicely. They had a lovely dinner, even a little dancing. Egon and Janine walked for a while at a nearby park before heading back to her place. 

Egon walked her to the door. Janine unlocked the door and opened it. “Wanna come in?” She asked, a slightly seductive smile on her lips. 

“Yes, thank you,” Egon replied, a little nervously but more excited.

He came in and closed the door behind him, removing his jacket and laying it on the couch. Janine had slipped off her shoes and was reaching for two coffee mugs. 

“Want some coffee?” Janine asked.

Egon had caught up to her in the kitchen and placed his hands on her hips from behind her. She jumped slightly in surprise. 

“I’d rather have you,” he whispered huskily into her ear. Then he placed a gentle kiss behind her ear. Janine all but melted in his arms. 

She spun around and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a deep, passionate lip lock. Egon slowly raised his hands from her hips up her sides, enjoying every delicious curve of her body. He stopped just short of underneath her breasts. He could feel her muscles tensing, her breath hitching as he planted hungry kisses along her neck. Her hands had shifted to holding onto his shoulders, her nails almost digging in. 

Egon stopped and looked Janine in the eyes, her beautiful blue eyes. “I told you before that I want you to know that you mean more to me than just...you know.”

“Yeah?” Janine said, smiling. 

“I love you Janine. What happened in the lab the other week was a moment of passion, and I enjoyed it. But I also want to take my time and properly make love to you,” Egon explained. 

Janine’s heart fluttered. “I love you too, Egon. I enjoyed it too, but yes, I do want to make love. It’s what I’ve always wanted for us.”

He smiled, leaning in for another kiss. This time, he slipped his tongue in her mouth slightly. Janine moaned, opening her mouth allowing entry for his tongue. As their tongues lapped at each other, Egon’s hands slid around to Janine’s back, finding the zipper on her dress. Janine’s hands were already busy unbuttoning his shirt. 

He slipped the dress off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Janine slid his shirt off, pulling the sleeves and dropping it in the floor. Egon stood for a moment taking in Janine’s lovely figure standing before him in only a strapless black bra and matching panties. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Egon whispered as he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

He sat Janine down gently by the bed while he swiftly slipped out of his shoes and unfastened his pants.

Janine stepped up to him, taking his pants zipper in her hands. “Allow me,” she whispered seductively. Egon swallowed hard, but moved his hands. 

Janine slowly moved the zipper down, taking care of his manhood, and eased the pants down. She knelt down, helping him step out of the pants. On her way back up, she rubbed her hands up the inside of his legs. She rested one hand on his erection through his boxers while the other rested on his chest as she stood back up to full height. 

Egon reached around unhooking her bra. As he dropped it to the bedroom floor, he lowered Janine onto the bed. He planted tender kisses down her neck. 

Janine ran her fingernails lightly across his shoulders as he made his way towards her breasts. As Egon rolled his tongue over her nipples, Janine arched her back in ecstasy. 

“Oh Egon! Yes, please, don’t stop!” Janine pleaded. 

She continued to moan his name as well as a few obscenities and calling out to deities as Egon trailed kisses from her breasts down across her stomach and ending up along the inside of her left thigh. Janine shuddered and took a deep breath as she felt Egon’s tongue tentatively exploring her most sensitive area. Her back arched and her eyes closed, pushing her head back into the pillow, allowing herself to get lost in the feeling of being taken. 

“Oh Egon……,” she hissed quietly, almost a whisper.

Egon increased the speed of his tongue. Just as he was getting ready to slide in a finger, Janine grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged. 

“Egon! Please!! I need you to stop,” she begged breathlessly.

Alarmed, Egon stopped immediately, his mind racing as to what he may have done wrong. “Janine, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you or…?”

“No! Not at all. I just….need a minute...I’m gonna explode right now if you don’t stop. And I...want you inside me for that.”

Egon smiled mischievously, wiped his mouth, and stripped off his boxers. He then slowly, teasingly moved back up to hover above Janine, straddling her. His manhood brushed against her wetness, driving her crazy with desire.

“Damnit Egon! Enough playing around! Please, I need you!!” Janine practically screamed. 

Egon carefully guided himself in, causing Janine to shiver with anticipation. Once inside, he started a rocking rhythm that she quickly matched. She grasped his upper arms that were holding him above her as they both became overwhelmed with love for one another. 

Tears slid down Janine’s face. “Egon, I love you so much,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too,” Egon whispered back. “You feel so good.”

“Oh yes, so do you,” she replied. “Oh...mmmm...I can’t hold out.”

“It’s fine; neither can I,” Egon panted.

Janine let out one last cry of Egon’s name, squeezing his arms as she came hard. She thought she might even pass out.

Egon soon followed, resting his head on her shoulder as he caught his breath. Janine gently rubbed his shoulders and stroked his hair to help calm him down. Her own breathing had started to return to normal.

He gently pulled out and rolled to the side, pulling Janine up against him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest. She placed her hands against his chest, running her fingers through his lightly haired chest. 

Janine took in a deep breath and let it back out. “I love you.”

Egon kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too,” he replied.

It felt so good to hold her like this. He never wanted this moment to end. 

Janine smiled, so happy that this was real, not a dream. They had successfully defeated the Dream Master so she finally felt like she could get a good night’s sleep. And as long as she was in Egon’s arms, she would.


End file.
